Latvian is one of the two Eastern Baltic languages that have survived to this day (along with Lithuanian). Latvian is the only official language in Latvia and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. About two million people speak Latvian (most of them live in Latvia). It is divided into three dialects: Upper Latvian,
Middle Latvian and Livonian. The modern literary Latvian language is based on the Middle Latvian dialect.
Interesting Facts:

• The first written records appeared in the 16th century.
• The modern Latvian alphabet, based on the Latin alphabet, contains 33 letters.
• The stress is fixed on the first syllable.
• In the Latvian language there are many words similar to the Russian language.
• It is generally accepted that Latvian is easier for those who know German – the “legacy” of Germanic linguistic roots.